Essence Atkins
Born	Essence Uhura Atkins February 7, 1972 (1972-02-07) (age 37) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Jaime Mendez (2009–present)

Essence Uhura Atkins (born February 7, 1972) is an American actress. She is best known for the roles of Dee Dee Thorne on the UPN sitcom Half and Half and as Yvette Henderson on the The WB sitcom Smart Guy.

Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Career

She has appeared in a variety of films and television series, including How High, Deliver Us From Eva, Family Matters, and The Cosby Show. One of her television roles was in the Saved by the Bell spin-off, the Saved by the Bell: The College Years. She appeared in the pilot; however, when Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, a regular from the original, opted to return, she was written out of the show after the pilot.

It was announced in October 2009 that Atkins will appear in the upcoming TBS series, Are We There Yet set to air in early 2010. ^[1]

[edit] Personal life

In September 2009, Atkins married Jaime Mendez, whom she met through the online dating service Match.com.^[2] Her Half and Half co-star Valerie Pettiford, performed during the reception.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Essence Atkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Essence Atkins at Allmovie